Who Wants To Survive A Duncan Tour?
by AmiraStarr
Summary: Cross-country tour? Check. Crazy family to tag along? Check. Wild foreigner with a sexy crooked grin? Check. Losing the last of Charlotte Duncan's mind while going head-to-head with a mischievous stranger? Bring it on! Your gonna need all of your luck, Charlie!
1. Charlie

**Disclaimer: I do not own Good Luck Charlie.**

**This is a futuristic fic where Charlie is 18, Toby is 16, Teddy is 31, PJ is 33, and Gabe is 28. Bob and Amy are older too, but I am pretty sure neither would want their ages listed lol. **

**I hope you enjoy the first chapter! Also, if anyone knows a good Beta, please send them my way. : )**

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On the large screen, nestled quaintly behind the two plush chairs, was a small baby frowning and emitting a whimper like noise. As the video's narration began the members of the studio audience giggled knowingly as if they were all aware of the impending punch line. When the first flatulent noise rang through the speakers every man and woman in the crowd began to laugh without an ounce of shame. A few clutched their sides while others wiped at small tears of joy.

"Well," The leggy brunette held her cue cards tightly and wiped away a small drop of liquid from her left eye. "Who would have guessed the star of Farty Charlie would grow up into such a successful lady!"

The audience clapped on cue and the other female figure on stage offered a bashful smile. She was no longer the chubby cheeked toddler in the video, but her large green eyes and wavy blonde hair gave her identity away. At eighteen years old, Charlotte Duncan had grown used to seeing her first spotlight moments played on talk shows around the globe. But the slight embarrassment of seeing her childish self still followed her with each view. Who knew something her brother had made so many years ago would become a talk show favorite? At least the interviewer had not pulled out her small spot on an old Chicago dance show.

"And you know audience, Miss Duncan's window of childhood stardom didn't end there. She even made it to Chicago's popular dance program, Shake It Up, Chicago!"

When the second clip ended on the screen the woman once again turned to Charlie and offered her a large toothy smile. She placed her cue cards down on the small coffee table separating their chairs and picked up a mug filled with bottled water. Coffee had always been a forbidden food in Charlie's tour months due to the horrors it could do to a singer's voice. Since her break was nearing an end, she had opted to skip the water and fill her own mug with a large amount of sugar and a little coffee. It was probably the first time a talk show mug had been filled with anything besides mineral water. Besides, Charlie wasn't about to waste any of her last days of food and beverage freedom on mineral water.

"So Charlie, did you know at a young age that you wanted to become a music sensation?"

"Not really." She adjusted her dress and crossed her ankles, letting the audience know the inner nervousness she battled in each interview. "My family has always been very musical. My sister and oldest brother were especially talented in the singing department."

"Does that mean we have a chance at a singing Duncan family group?"

The tiny blonde laughed along with the audience and shook her head quickly. "I would be more than happy to sing with them, but I don't think I could pull them on stage for anything now. They found the things in life that make them happy and I don't think they would want to change that."

"They are a reporter and chef correct?"

"Yes. My brother works at a famous restaurant in Denver and my sister just secured a job at one of the world's leading newspapers."

"My-oh-my," the reporter smiled even wider to reveal more of her bleached white teeth. She set her mug down and leaned in closer to Charlotte as if she were going to speak privately with her celebrity guest. Unfortunately, the older woman chose to increase the volume of her voice significantly. "So tell me, is there any truth to the rumors that you and Grant Foster are dating?"

The audience oo-ed and awed in hopes they could entice some juicy details from Charlie's lips. "Grant and I are just friends. We met at an award show years ago and enjoy going out to dinner when we end up in the same city. Which isn't very often with our schedules."

"Well, I can tell you that if you ever do find a little fire in that friendship you would make an adorable couple. Wouldn't they audience?!"

The crowd roared with applause to show united support for what Charlie knew would never happen. After a few years in the industry you learn some important lessons. Never admit to dating someone until you are both ready for the public reaction, never give the press too much information about your personal life, never give away answers to questions your are contractually obligated to stay mum on, and in the case of Grant, never out one of your best gay friends on national television. Poor boy would never forgive her if she let that slip on air.

"So tell me Charlie, what is coming up next for our favorite musician? You just graduated high school right?"

_Boy, the Duncans had made that quite an event_, Charlie thought as a goofy grin perched on her lips. "I did graduate. And I am looking forward to going into college this fall after my cross-country tour this summer."

"Sign me up for tickets to that!" A well-rehearsed laugh escaped the brunette and she patted Charlie's knee, "And honey be aware that, I don't think there is a college in the country with decent food in their cafeteria. But I am glad to see you are excited to start college. Any idea what you want to major in?"

"Not yet. I am hoping to get a taste of everything and then make a decision."

"Good for you! These are the years you should be out trying new things and enjoying yourself. Just don't party to hard, okay?"

"I won't." She held her fingers up in a Boy Scout promise.

"Is the school preparing some kind of special security system for you in the dorms?"

"Nope. I am getting the full freshman experience. No security and no paparazzi. I am not even telling my manager which college I will be headed to. It will just be me and thousands of other freshman."

**XXX**

"You told my agent what?!"

Charlie leaned against the kitchen island and stared at her mother with wide eyes. The sound of Disney Junior could be heard in the background, keeping the nieces and nephews busy while Charlie attempted to have a civil discussion with her mother. The blonde woman was slightly shorter than Charlotte, but it only seemed to increase her presence in the room.

"I assumed you were going to tell them anyway." Amy looked up from the peanut butter sandwiches she was slapping together and offered her daughter an apologetic look. "I mean, you will be recording while you are in college so they would need to know where to book studio time."

The news rattled around the younger blonde's ear and attempted to penetrate her brain with no success. Recording during college? When had that little piece of information come together? The whole plan had been to avoid the music industry for at least a year after the summer tour! A normal freshman experience did not include running away in the middle of class to record an overly sappy song selected by her agent.

"What are you talking about?" She placed the sandwiches on the tray in hopes the assistance would convince her mom to speak more openly.

"Remember the contract we signed? Back when Adam first approached you, we had to negotiate a deal."

"Negotiate? You jumped up and down screaming and dad tried to sell him bug spray for the studio."

"We were excited." She poured some milk in the Sippy cups set out on the counter.

"You offered to pay him if he would make it a mother and daughter group."

"Alright. We were very excited. Happy?"

"Almost." I sighed and screwed the lids on the cups. "Just tell me what the bottom line is, mom. Please?"

"Honey, I might have looked at the date on the contract wrong. It turns out that it is good for at least one more year and a few months. After this year we can take a break, get you a new agent…"

"But we can't re-do my freshman year mom. That is a once in a lifetime thing."

Instead of answering the statement, Amy placed the cups and sandwiches on the large platter and walked out to the living room. Seated on the couch, eyes glued to the screen in front of them, were Isaiah, Addison, Riley, and Amelia. The older Duncan children had wasted no time in securing families of their own. PJ was currently leading the pack with three kids, but Teddy was close behind with her daughter Amelia and newborn son. Middle child Gabe was a bit further behind his siblings. He had lived with his girlfriend since his sophomore year of college (which had been his last year of college before joining the police training program), but seemed to have no plans to marry or have kids with her. Something Amy was trying her hardest to change, much to Gabe's displeasure.

"Can't we just ignore the contract?" Charlie stood behind the couch as her mother passed the Sippy cups to the children. "Isn't it enough he gets me all summer?"

"You have to admit that he is being nice enough to let the whole family join you for this tour. That is something pretty big for him to do, Charlie. And breaking a contract like that is practically impossible. Trust me, I know. When I was in high school-"

"That's okay." Charlie held up her hands and shook her head quickly back and forth. "I believe you."

"It is a good story. You see I was selected to do-"

"Are you and aunt Chawie fighting gwandma?" The small voice of Addison, PJ's middle child, burst into the conversation.

"Of course not sweetie!" Amy gushed and kissed the top of the toddler's head.

The group shifted their attention to the front door as it popped open and alerted them to the presence of a nervous looking Spencer. He walked into the room backwards and seemed to be directing something into the house with great concern. The children giggled at his grand hand gestures, while Amy and Charlie merely offered each other a confused expression. Ever since he became a father, Spencer's brain had become slightly safety obsessed. From the moment Amelia had been born, the young man had taken a pledge to bubble wrap the entire city.

"Careful, careful… Don't step to quickly." He formed arrows with his fingers and attempted to guide his bride in like an airplane descending upon a foggy runway.

"This is ridiculous Spencer. The baby and I have been out of the hospital for over two weeks. You don't have to be so afraid of us getting hurt." Teddy's melodic voice joined the room as she stepped inside with baby Benjamin clutched in her arms. The tall blonde was a little heavier set then she had be in her youth, but the weight was distributed in just the right way to make her appear even curvier then she had in the past. Charlotte had always envied the fact her sister could gain weight that would stay in just the right spots. Whenever the younger Duncan put on weight it seemed to enjoy settling on her hips and stomach for the world to see.

"Momma!" Amelia cried out excitedly, letting her Sippy cup and sandwich tumble to the floor, before taking off in a sprint to capture Teddy's leg.

"Whoa there." Spencer caught the child in mid-flight and propped her on his hip. "We have to be careful when momma's holding Ben, honey."

"I don't like Ben." Amelia grumbled under her breath and rested her head on her father's shoulder. With her bright brown eyes and the dark curls framing her face, the child was almost impossible to ignore. Luckily, Teddy was well versed in handling Amelia's various moods.

"How about we trade?" She smiled at her husband and in a matter of minutes, the newest Duncan grandchild was in his father's arms and Amelia was cuddled up to Teddy.

The whole scene was rather intriguing to Charlotte. She loved her job and was extremely grateful that she had been able to visit multiple continents, meet high-class celebrities, and share her passion with the world. But truth be told, she missed being near her crazy family during all the concert tours and interviews. She was the only one in the family who hadn't been in town for the birth of all the grandchildren. Heck, she hadn't even gotten to meet Benjamin yet!

Of course this time was going to be different. When Horton, Charlie's somewhat sleazy, in her opinion, agent had first offered her a cross-country tour over her last summer before college the singer had requested a rather large favor. The only way he would get her on that bus was if he took the rest of the Duncans along for the ride. The reaction to her idea had ranged from anger, excitement and confusion, to fear. With the most intense reactions ironically coming from some of the Duncan family.

Horton had enough money to make the trip happen. He had seen Charlie through two gold albums that were still on the charts. The real problem with the plan had been her siblings. Teddy had only been granted the vacation time because the paper she worked for had been given permission to report on behind the scenes tour moments. Neither Charlie nor her sister were happy that Teddy had to be a glorified paparazzi reporter, but it got her the time she needed. PJ and his wife had been reluctant to come along, but they gave in when their eldest, Isaiah, reminded them he had always wanted to see all the places on his coloring book map. No one was quite sure how Gabe had gotten the time off from the police force. All his girlfriend had said was he came home one day and announced he had been cleared for the trip. It was suspicious, but everything attached to Gabriel Duncan seemed suspicious. So the family overlooked it for the time being. And last but not least, had been everyone's favorite moody teen, Toby. Being a minor whose parents still did not trust him to be home alone, after an eventful party he created last time, Toby was given no choice in the matter. The sixteen year old had spent the rest of his packing time searching the Internet for a way to become emancipated. Luckily he took after Gabe academically and seemed to lose interest in the search pretty quick.

"Charlie," Spencer cradled the newborn close to his chest and walked towards her, "I have someone here you should meet."

A wide grin broke out on Charlie's face as the infant was laid in her arms. The child made a few gurgle noises, but did not open his eyes. His little chest rose and fell with each slow breath as if he was perfectly comfortable with the aunt he had just met. The singer hummed a small tune for the baby and tried to gently rock him from side to side. Ben's brow began to scrunch up as she hummed and soon he let out a small whimper.

"Everyone's a critic." Charlie laughed along with the rest of the adults and kissed her nephew on the head.

**XXX**

Later that evening the entire Duncan clan had managed to assemble themselves in the house. The men had volunteered to take over baby and toddler duty while Charlie and Teddy finished getting ready for Charlie's overdue graduation party. After seeing how protective Spencer was, Charlotte doubted that he would let any of the others hold his new baby boy. At least Teddy seemed to still have a good head on her shoulders. Each time she and Charlie saw each other they were able to slip into their old and comfortable routine. It really was like no time had passed between the sisters. A feeling Charlotte whole-heartedly believed came from the many video diaries her sister had made through the years.

"These are beautiful!" Teddy dug through the many gowns in Charlie's closet. Nothing near this fancy had existed in the tiny space when she owned the closet. The room really had nothing left in it that signaled Teddy had once lived there. Except of course, for the large photo frame on one of the walls that housed a great deal of her sticky note drawings. Charlie had always admired those pieces of paper and it seemed to go along with the colorful theme of the room.

"Feel free to try on anything you want." Charlie dug through one of the stand-alone racks in the corner of the room. Only half a year into her singing career and her closet had been completely filled. The rest of her clothing items now lingered in various spots in the room as if the closet had exploded somewhere along the line.

"I can't believe you are an official high school graduate." Teddy slipped out of her dress and tried to squeeze into one of the tighter outfits. She had kept her promise to herself and only gained the amount of weight necessary during her second pregnancy. Although she had more toning work to do, she was definitely in better shape then she had been after Amelia's birth. "Are you looking forward to college? Your first year really is exciting Charlie."

"Yeah…" The younger sister stared into her dresser mirror and felt her enthusiasm wane a little.

"What's wrong?" Teddy slipped into her original dress and joined her sister by the mirror.

"Oh, nothing. I was just getting sappy over memories I guess."

Teddy gently bopped Charlie's nose with a make up brush and raised a playful eyebrow, "We can do this the hard way or the easy way sis."

"Fine." She was a smart enough teenager to know when her sister was not bluffing. "Mom found out that my contract isn't going to be up for a while. Now I have to record and do all that stuff during freshman year. Nothing is going as I planned and now the media will probably be all over campus and I'll just be the celebrity freak show."

Teddy listened attentively as she gently brushed some blush onto her baby sister's cheeks. After setting the brush down, she pulled Charlie over to the bed and wrapped an arm around the kid's shoulder. "First off, we are the Duncans. When has anything gone according to plan for us?"

Charlie laughed at the statement that no one in or associated with their family could deny. Their family was a pretty weird bunch, but they were her weird bunch. Besides, without all of their antics Charlie's talk show sessions would have probably been rather boring.

"Secondly," Teddy squeezed her shoulder gently. "You are one of the most talented and resourceful eighteen year olds I know. This is your year, and I am sure you will figure out a way to make it work. Maybe it won't be exactly like what you planned… But it will be magical Charlie. So promise me you will give it your all, no matter what happens, okay?"

"Well…" Charlie grinned at her sister playfully before being attacked by two hands that knew each of her ticklish spots. "No! Okay! Okay! I promise!"

"Ha!" Teddy shouted triumphantly and flopped down on the bed with her sister. "Now how about we get you out to that graduation party in the backyard?"

"Sure." The younger girl sat up and pulled her long blonde hair back into a ponytail.

"Oh, and don't forget to get a good night sleep."

"Why?"

"Cause tomorrow we hit the open road with the entire clan. You will need all the rest you can get." As Teddy laughed softly, Charlie nodded her head and wondered what she had gotten herself into.


	2. Derek

**Disclaimer: I do not own Good Luck Charlie**

**So there is no confusion, Merridell is a rather large country that is surrounded by water expect where it's corner touches the countries of France and Spain. In other words it covers the Bay of Biscay and stretches outwards into the Atlantic Ocean. **

**Also, I think I mis-judged the Duncan's ages in my first chapter so sorry if they are different then the television show. For the sake of sanity, I am just going to keep them the same as they are in the first chapter for this tale.**

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The silence of the wooded area was startled abruptly as a young man on a large black steed charged through the trees. With a specific squeeze of his legs, the rider ushered his horse to bolt even faster into the small clearing. Sweat foamed on the body of the horse making it match its rider's sweat dappled face. Behind the speeding pair came another rider moving at a far more cautious pace. The new rider trotted up to his companion slowly and patted the neck of his dapple-grey horse.

"You are never going to give Lark a chance to run full speed are you, Gavin?"

The smaller boy smiled and once more patted the soft neck of his horse, "Slow and steady wins the race, Derek."

"How can it be winning if it is so boring?"

When Gavin didn't respond to the playful taunt, Derek turned his head to see the boy better. He followed the boy's line of sight to the tree dotted hillside. In the distance was a figure moving steadily closer on the back of a chestnut colored horse. Covering his eyes with one hand, to block the bright sunlight, Derek attempted to gauge if the newcomer was friend or foe. The last thing he wanted to run into was a camera hog, but if it _were_ some photographer his mother would kill him for not being civil.

"Well, well," The man grinned as he approached the boys.

They would have been better off with bloodthirsty paparazzi.

"I see you are still riding, _that_ one."

Derek's eyes narrowed slightly as the newcomer threw out his thinly veiled dig. Below him the horse snorted as if she knew the insult was directed towards her. Sage had been in Derek's life practically since her birth. Her mother had been part of a large herd rescued from an abusive side show years before. Derek's grandfather had adopted the mother and baby a few days after the filly's birth. He worked with the mother, but allowed his grandson the chance to raise and train the filly on his own; minus some help from the stable hands when he was away on royal business.

"She's better trained and faster then any horse your family could overwork, Alistair."

Derek's insult was less, if at all, veiled and forced Alistair's lips to shrink into a fine line. The young man was use to reactions like these being thrown at him when he displeased or angered someone outside his family. People always wondered what amount of royal guards were hiding in the background waiting to jump anyone who accosted the prince. It was something Derek detested, but if anyone was willing to take a chance on being senseless and yelling at the prince it was Alistair the snooty.

"Jealous, Disaster Derek?" The boy did not disappoint and was even able to throw in a name that made Derek's skin crawl. "The horses in my families care have won races held all over Merridell. And your pony comes from some abandoned circus, correct?"

"They'd never win against a horse as talented as Sage." Fueled by the nickname he detested, Derek raised an eyebrow and began to contemplate how he could pull Alistair into a high stakes race.

"I don't like that look. That is never a good look…" Gavin groaned quietly and tried to bring a voice of reason to Derek. "You know that royals aren't allowed to compete in derby rac-"

"Who said anything about derby races?" Derek smiled at his friend and patted his shoulder reassuringly. The gesture did little to comfort the nervous chap. "I am talking about a simple race between acquaintances. Here and now."

"Hmmm," Alistair readjusted his horse and lined up beside Gavin and Derek. "That depends Disaster…"

"On what?"

Like a bolt Alistair's horse shot off into the distance and he called out, "If you can keep up!"

Each word that slipped off of the man's lips soaked into Derek's skin and fueled his frustration. "If you have to cheat, even you must know I can beat you easy!"

"This isn't going to end well." Gavin clicked his tongue to make his own horse start after the two racers. "But don't listen to the man who has pulled you out of these scrapes for almost nineteen years."

The lead Alistair had gained by his false start, was quickly overcome by Derek and Sage. Each boy remained frozen in well-defined riding postures that could only be crafted from years of experience. Unlike Alistair who swatted his horse's flanks relentlessly with a whip, Derek merely urged Sage forward with vocal commands and a slight tightening of his thighs. The young prince had been taught from an early age that animals, like people, always performed better when treated with respect and kindness. The lessons in horsemanship had affected Derek strongly, unlike his father who still believed in showing dominance to his steed with a swift tap of the whip every so often.

"To bad it isn't official!" Alistair shouted over the thundering sound of the hooves.

Derek darted between some trees and regained his spot beside Alistair, "Why's that?"

"It is such a shame to waste so many eyes on a practice run."

Before the words could fully penetrate Derek's brain, Alistair jerked his horse's reins and sent the large creature into Sage. Derek's left foot slipped from the stirrup and he lost his riding position momentarily. As he tried to rise back into position, Alistair's onslaught continued to shove Sage closer and closer to the hillside edge.

"Stop it, Alistair!" Derek yelled and tried in vain to maneuver around the force of his opponent. The ground below the horses began to break and crumble as they danced closer and closer to the edge. "You'll send us all down the cliff at this rate! Just because you're afraid to lose in a fair fight!"

The last comment brought forth a true growl from the man's throat. His eyes narrowed and with great precision his hands jerked the horses reins to the other side. The animal obeyed the command and slammed its hindquarters into Sage who had no room to escape the attack. Below her feet, the ground finally let go and began tumbling down the hillside. Derek tried to regain control of the scared animal, but Sage merely let out a wild whiny noise and tried desperately to run down the steep cliff side.

Five feet above the bottom of the rocky hill, Sage took a leap of faith and bolted into the town. The prince's eyes grew wide as the horse raced through traffic leaving the sounds of disgruntled drivers and metallic clanks in her wake. Calming the horse was not working, so he shifted his efforts to just making sure her rampage caused as little damage as possible. With well-trained hands, he maneuvered the reins and horse through the onslaught of furious people and honking cars. The welcomed sight of the summer castle gates greeted him just as Sage began to calm down. He trotted her into the grounds and stopped in the middle of the last rain puddle from the morning's showers.

"It's okay girl. It's okay." He patted the horse's neck softly and spoke to her in a calm voice.

"Derek!"

The furious rant belonged to a voice the boy knew quite well. As he looked up from his exhausted horse, Natalie, his older sister by three minutes, offered him a cold glare. She swiped at a new set of mud stains on her dress and let out a disappointed sigh. Beside the annoyed brunette stood Derek's mother, grandfather, and uncle. Each of the adults carried disapproving frowns on their faces, minus grandfather who merely chuckled good-naturedly and offered him a secret grin.

"What is the meaning of this?" His mother charged forward, but was cut off by an incoming royal guard.

"Excuse me your majesty," The guard and his fellow companions bowed to Derek's mother as they approached, "There seems to be a situation out in the streets that requires your assistance."

"Yes, right away." She nodded her head curtly to the guard and spared her son one final glance, "I expect to see you in the throne room, young man."

**XXX**

Once he had unhitched the bridle from his horse's face, the mare dunked her mouth into the water trough happily. While she drank her fill Derek began to fiddle with the saddle. He had a pretty good idea that the emergency the guards were talking about was a few car crashes his race through town had created. But it wasn't his fault! If Alistair had just played fair this wouldn't have happened. _Damn boy,_ Derek thought with a frown,_ must have known this was going to be the day he was finally going to be beaten_.

"Well, my boy," The voice of his uncle pulled Derek out of his thoughts and back into the stables. "It seems you have created quite a scene."

"Yeah. Mom seems pretty angry this time."

"It seems they don't understand that accidents can happen to the best of us."

Derek tossed the saddle into its place and turned to his uncle with a thankful smile, "Exactly! And it wasn't even my fault, uncle Everett."

"What did happen?"

"Well, I was about to beat Alistair in a race when he shoved us off the hill side and down into the city." The boy let out a sigh and ran the brush over his mare's torso. "Of course mother will just give me the, 'You shouldn't be racing in the first place' and her favorite, 'You are the future of this country and you can't risk getting yourself hurt' speech."

"It really isn't fair is it?" Everett watched in silence as the boy finished brushing his horse then put her into a stall with a small snack.

"Yeah, but try telling the queen that."

"My dear nephew," Everett wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulders and strolled with him from the stables and into the summer castle. "You are going to be nineteen soon and it really is about time you have a chance to show the family that you are a true leader."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, anyone can rule a country that knows the person is of royal blood. But a true royal can bring order and leadership to whatever place he visits."

"You mean I should try and rule some random country? That doesn't sound like a good ide-"

"Pardon me, but you misunderstood." While they talked Everett took them along the long path to the boy's room. He was not sure how long it would take to explain his idea, but he did not want to leave his nephew without a full description. "If you were able to lead a group of people who had no idea you were royal, you would be able to show everyone that you are ready to be a true leader."

"I gotta admit it sounds tempting, but I don't think I can just overthrow a government by myself."

"No, no," Everett sighed softly at the thick headedness of his nephew. "All you have to do is find some way to display leadership in a country that doesn't know you. Somehow get people to rally behind you and support you in some form. When your parent's see that you have inspired strangers, they will be immensely impressed. Besides, I know that you were hoping to do a little traveling before your intensive royal training began."

The light bulb in Derek's head suddenly went off. A smile curved across his face and he stared at his uncle with open joy. The leadership thing aside, uncle Everett had just found him a way to get a free vacation away from the eyes of his parents. This was glorious! All he had to do now was sell them on this idea and he would be off to a country in no time.

"That is brilliant uncle Everett!" Derek laughed happily and patted the man on the back, "We just have to tell father and I am set."

"We?"

"Well, yeah. It was your idea."

"My boy," The older man took his arm away from Derek and offered him a parental expression. "Don't you think it would be best if you take credit for this idea? It would show them you have truly thought about your duty to the royal family."

"Oh…" Derek paused for a moment then nodded his head in agreement, "Alright. I won't mention you came up with it."

**XXX**

"This is awesome!" Derek stood before the large map on his wall and tried to settle on which country he wanted to explore.

"This isn't a good idea."

Gavin sat on the bed with a piece of paper in hand. Although the prince would never read it, the boy had taken it upon himself to write out the various reasons this idea was horrible. On top of that list was the fear Gavin would have to accompany his friend to said country. The young man had grown up with the prince and princess. They had played together in their youth, gone to rigorous schooling, and now were practically inseparable. But the one thing Gavin had always lacked, was the prince's sense of adventure.

"Come on Gavin." The boy whirled around to offer his friend a large grin, "We could go search pyramids, explore jungles, climb mountains!"

"Stay here and try not to cause anymore four car pile ups?"

Derek rolled his eyes and turned back to his map. He had known Gavin for years, but there was something the boy couldn't understand. When Gavin decided what he wanted to do with his life, he could get up and do it. Just because his father was the King's personal doctor, did not mean that Gavin had to follow in his footsteps. But Derek didn't have such luxuries. Sure his dad was in good health now, but someday he would need his son to take over the throne. Once that crown was placed upon his head, Derek was stuck for the rest of his life. This could be his last adventure… And he was damn well going to take it.

"Pardon me, sir," One of the castle's attendants knocked on the door and poked his head inside the boy's room, "Your parents wish to speak with you in the castle hall soon."

"Thanks. Tell them I will be right there." Derek sighed and turned once more to his map.

"This is my last real chance to have a big adventure. I have to go somewhere with adventure, fun, and… America!"

"America?" The name of the country slipped awkwardly off of Gavin's tongue.

"Yes!" The prince grinned wider and pulled his friend off of the bed, "Think about it. They have beaches, mountains, and everything else. It is perfect. A one stop place, Gavin."

"America?"

"Yes. Now lets go tell the folks." He yanked the boy's arm and drug him along for the ride.

"I might be allergic to America!"

**XXX**

When the boys arrived in the throne room, the royal family was already settled on their assigned seats. Derek noticed Natalie's outfit had completely changed but her attitude towards him was still sour. The stain hadn't been that large, but it was enough to put his rather feminine sister into a tizzy for a day. If anyone was built for the life of a princess, it was Natalie.

"Mother, Father," Derek bowed gracefully and approached his parents as politely as he could. It might take a rather large amount of sucking up to get them to agree to the plan. "I hope you were not waiting to long."

"Derek," His father spoke without offering a formal address, alerting the boy to how much trouble he actually was facing. "You have created quite a scene today. Thanks to your actions multiple citizens were almost severely injured."

"Almost?" If no one was actually hurt that was a plus, right?

"Derek, even without physical injuries there are multiple families in our kingdom who are trying to deal with emotional strain and fear. Fear that would not have happened if you had remained on the approved horse track."

"Yes, mother. You are right. It was my fault for not following the rules." Derek nodded his head gravely.

"Wait," Natalie stared at her parents and brother in turn, "Derek is taking responsibility for something? I must have misheard. He doesn't even know what that word means."

"Shut up…" Derek mumbled at his nosey sister through gritted teeth. As much as he loved Natalie, she always had a way of finding holes in his stories.

"Natalie," The king touched her hand gently, "This is between your brother, mother, and I. We will handle the matter as we see fit."

"Yes, father." She leaned back in her throne and offered Gavin a curious stare. To which the young man mouthed, 'You don't want to know'.

"Now," With order restored, King Christopher turned his attention back to Derek. "It is admirable that you are willing to admit your fault in this matter, but that does not assure me that such issues will not arise again. You are almost nineteen and I need some proof that you understand how large your responsibilities are."

"I understand, Father." Derek stood up as straight as he could and looked his elders in the eye, "I have been slacking off when it comes to my royal duties. Which is why I would like to show you that my dedication to our kingdom is stronger then ever."

"How do you plan on showing that?" Both parents were fully engaged in Derek's story by this point.

"I would like to show you by competing in a leadership challenge. Anyone of royal blood can lead their own people, but a true leader can lead even those who do not know their status. I would like to go to America and in a summer's time show you, through some display, that I can be a true leader."

"America?" The king scoffed and stared in surprise at his son.

"I think it is a wonderful idea!" Grandfather chuckled from his throne and pointed at his grandson. "You wanted the boy to show some initiative, and that is what I call initiative. Braving a foreign land and promising to show true leadership to strangers. Brilliant."

"But, we can't send you all alone to a foreign country." The queen bit her bottom lip and stared at her youngest child. Like most mothers, she had trouble realizing that her children were no longer infants.

"Nonsense," Derek's grandfather rose from his throne and walked over to his grandson. "Derek is a strapping young man with a good head on his shoulders. He can keep himself safe. Besides, Gavin can accompany him on the trip."

"Oh, I don't… I'm allergic to America." Gavin sputtered on his words and stared at the royal family in surprise.

"Please Gavin," Natalie smiled at her old friend, "Someone has to keep my baby brother safe."

"Well, I…" A large goofy grin spread over the boy's face. "Okay, Princess Natalie. I'll go with him."

"Splendid!" Shouted Derek's grandfather as he wrapped an arm around each boy; "We will get you boys packed and ready to go by the end of the week!"

"That soon?" Gavin whined in a soft voice as the eldest member of their trip led them out of the throne room.

**XXX**

"Smell that air. You know what that is?"

"Cinnabon. It's the Cinnabon stand." Gavin hunched his shoulders and gripped the straps of his suitcase. The terminal was bustling with people leaving Gavin feeling a little overwhelmed, "The same Cinnabon we have in Merridell."

"That is the smell of freedom, Gavin."

"I honestly think it's just the Cinnabon stand…"

"No," Derek grumbled and boldly stepped forward into the crowds. Everywhere he looked men and women were rushing about to the various stores and check in points. No one stopped to stare at him with wide eyes and gaping mouths. For once there were no photo requests or papers to sign and it was glorious. Had he been more concerned with the state of his country, the boy would have taken a moment to realize total non-recognition was probably a bad sign.

"What are we going to do in Denver?" Gavin looked out at the mountain ranges in the distance and prayed they were not here to climb to new heights. "Why did you pick the village of Denver anyway?"

"They call them cities here. And we can do whatever the heck we want Gav."

As the boys trudged through the crowds the sights and smells of their new location embraced their senses. Gavin's wide, fear filled eyes stared at each security guard while the prince winked at a few ladies and waited for his first bought of inspiration to hit him. In all honesty, the selection of Denver had been left purely up to chance. He had merely closed his eyes and threw a dart at the large map of America in the castle library. Of course, he would never tell his family or Gavin that his leadership challenge location had been decided by a bar game.

By the time they reached a small section of restaurants Derek made the executive decision to start their quest with an early lunch. Although English was not their native tongue, both Gavin and Derek had received enough tutoring during their school years to be nearly fluent. Unfortunately, the language on the menu didn't appear to be any form of English Gavin had seen before. "What is a McLouis roll?"

When no answer was given to his question, Gavin looked up from the cryptic menu to find Derek's gaze was focused on something else. The prince's brow dipped down in growing distaste. Gavin followed his gaze to see a hulk of a man attempting to talk to a frustrated woman at the counter. The hulk placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, which she promptly shrugged off. When he grabbed the joint harder and forced a small cry from the girl Derek stood up from his chair and charged over to the duo.

"Hey," He wedged himself between the brute and the girl and stared up into the man's face. The words escaping his mouth were coated in a slight accent due to his increasing annoyance, "I think the lady was clear that she wants you to leave her alone."

"Who are yous?" The gin coated words sent a ripple of disgust through Derek's stomach.

"Why don't you sit down before you do something you'll regret?"

The man's fist flew out and collided with the prince's jaw, "Regret?! You ain't gotta a way to make me do that."

Derek grinned at the lug and thrust his own fist into the man's gut. When the guy bent forward in pain, the prince forced his shoulder into the man's chest. A few moves, he had been practicing for ages with his instructors, later the prince used his body weight and momentum to flip the hulk over. A few of the patrons clapped awkwardly and watched the once intimidating man lay in pain on the floor.

Gavin approached his friend and offered him a napkin to wipe the bit of blood from his lip, "That was pretty good."

"And you thought our martial arts lessons were a waste of time."

"Well it does seem strange to teach someone surrounded by guards twenty four seven to fight…"

"Excuse me," The girl tapped Derek on the shoulder and offered him a kind smile. "Thank you. Um…"

"Derek." The prince's grin grew slightly as he looked into the girl's eyes, "It's Derek. And you are?"

"What the hell?!"

A shout from behind forced the Prince to turn and face a lanky man coated in a grungy t-shirt. The fellow's hair was coated in a strange amount of, what Derek hoped, was gel. Behind the man was a small group of misfits who seemed rather impressed by the defeated hulk.

"Dude, you got him good!" The raven-haired member of the group knelt by the hulk and tried to wake him from his drunken state.

"Is he a… friend of yours?" Gavin ventured curiously as he silently wondered whether or not these boys ever bathed.

"Not exactly." The lanky man from earlier took the question and looked to Derek and Gavin, "He was a roadie we hired. We got a gig to work a cross-country tour and needed someone to haul the instruments. Of course he spent more time hauling beer cans then speakers."

"Ah, well… sorry about this. I'm sure you can find another road… thing-person, but we have to be going now." Gavin motioned to Derek and tried to silently signify it was time to move on.

"Wait a minute, Gavin." Derek grinned, causing a bit of panic to settle in the other boy's stomach. "You said a cross-country tour?"

"Yeah. We are heading out today, but the plan has been a bit changed by this new problem."

"So, you are currently looking for a new roadie?"

"What are you getting at, kid?"

"You need a roadie and we need a cross-country trip."

"We do?" Gavin mumbled confused.

Derek pulled the boy aside and formed a conference huddle, "Look, we are only here for a summer. I want to see as much as I can. This is a free trip to explore… everywhere!"

"What about your leadership challenge? When are you going to find time to do that if you are working for them?"

"Don't worry. I'll get it done. This gives us chances all over the country. I promise you won't regret it Gavin."

"You two done with your powwow?" The lanky man busted into the huddle and stared at each boy in turn, "If you want it, the job is yours. But we have to leave, now."

"Deal!" Derek shook the man's hand and completely missed the fear covering Gavin's face.

**XXX**

As they pulled up to the bus-loading site, Derek took in a rather large amount of people. He had been to multiple concerts in his home country, but had never seen a band that consisted of so many people of varying ages. There were infants, toddlers, teenagers, and some people that looked like they were in their late fifties. What kind of music was this?

"Alright." The lank man, whose name had turned out to be Alph, pointed to the trailer attached to their suv. "You gotta put all of that in the bottom of that bus."

As the door of the storage trailer opened, the boys stared in amazement at the amount of luggage and instruments crammed into the container. It would have been easier to play advanced level Tetris in Derek's opinion. He studied the pieces for a few moments, and then attempted to pull out a brown suitcase. Once it was safely out of the pile the rest of the materials began to shift. Gavin, nervous as ever, squeaked and jumped into action to avoid a complete landslide.

"Be right back." Derek lifted the case in his arms and trudged off to the bus.

"Amelia?" A blonde girl rushed past Derek and seemed to be searching the storage spaces franticly. "This isn't funny. Come out, now!"

"What are you-"

Derek was cut off as a tiny child leapt from one of the storage spaces and bumped into him. He stumbled back a few steps, twirled on his heel, and promptly dropped the suitcase to the ground. The blonde girl, from moments earlier, stood on the other side of the busted case with a hand covering her heart. As their eyes met, the two were left in a surprised stare down.

"Uh," She blinked her eyes slowly and looked at the clothes peeking out from the suitcase. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." Derek, having lived his entire life being treated with little to no blame, brushed off his hands and pointed at her, "You go ahead and load this one. I need to check on Gavin."

"What?" She stared at him with confused eyes, "What are you talking about?"

"Look, this will get done a lot faster if you just do your roadie job."

"I'm not a roadie." She said growing annoyed with his un-earned view of self-importance. "I'm singing in this tour."

"No," He shook his head and pointed to the greasy haired men, "This is their tour, sweets."

"No," She stood on her tiptoes to try and equal his height, "This is my tour."

As she fell back onto the soles of her feet, the girl spared a glance to the greasy men. Unfortunately, she didn't pay enough attention to the boy's movements. "And, although I'll admit… I don't know who those men are… it is definitely _not_ their tour. And the name is Charlotte, not sweets."

"Thanks for the help, sweets." Derek called over his shoulder as he turned to head back to the trailer.

Charlotte Duncan stood in silence as the reality of the situation washed over her. The boy hadn't heard a thing she said and was now blissfully waltzing away. Who did he think he was? He could have at least been polite enough to get her name right! Who the heck were these tour crashers?

"Adam!" She called out to her agent sparing one last glance at the strange boy, "What the heck is going on here?"

* * *

**Sorry this was so long kiddos. : ) It took longer then I thought to introduce Derek and Gavin lol. Hope it was good to you guys. ^.^**


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